This invention generally relates to power distribution systems and, more particularly, to a power distribution system in a vehicle such as an aircraft.
Vehicles, such as aircrafts, typically utilize one or more power distribution networks to distribute power from a primary power source (e.g., a generator) to various vehicle devices, such as the landing gear, lighting and door locks for example. The power distribution networks may be configured to have a primary distribution network that distributes power from one or more generators to one or more electrical busses. A secondary power distribution network distributes the power from the electrical busses to the loads.
Power distribution networks often carry very high currents between various switches in the network. Transmission lines between these switches may be protected using circuit breakers or differential current sensing. To apply differential current sensing to conventional power distribution systems, additional hardware and processing equipment is required to measure and compare currents at multiple locations along a transmission line. Inclusion of this additional hardware, such as mechanical contactors, wound magnetic core transformers, and Hall Effect transducers, for example, increases the cost and complexity of the power distribution network.